Casar / casarse ?
 

I'm having a little trouble understanding reflexive verbs.
what's the difference in the meaning between casar and casarse? when do you use each?

for example:
'La verdad es que nunca me quiero casar.' - the truth is I never want to get married.
'Están tan enamorados que van a casarse pronto.' - They are so in love that they're getting married soon.
what's the difference? is there a difference in the meaning?

another example:

"Este sería un lugar precioso para casarse" why not casar?
when do you use the reflexive verbs in this form (with the 'se' in the end) and when you don't?
thank you. :)

Casarse means to get married. Casar means to marry as when the justice of the peace marries the betrothed couple.

FTFY

There's no difference at all because both instances use casarse.

For future reference

me quiero* casar (I want to get married ---> me comes from casarse)
me quiere** golpear (He wants to hit me) ---> me is exactly as "me" in the English version; the verb is golpear)

* first person
** third person

By the way, casarse isn't a reflexive verb; it's a pronominal verb, and the suffix 'se' is used when the pronominal verb is in the infinitive form or in the imperative form.

There are three types of pronominal verbs, if you don't count the "passive 'se'" construction. Besides the reflexive, there are reciprocal verbs and pure pronominal verbs. The verb casarse is a pure pronominal verb.

Look at these examples.

Voy a casarme. = I'm going to get married.
Me voy a casar. = I'm going to get married.
Me caso. = I'm getting married.
¿Cuándo se casan? = When are you (two) getting married?
Nos casamos el domingo. = We're getting married on Sunday.

Thank you for the comments! it cleared things up a bit about that specific verb but I guess I'm still confused about the pronominal and reflexive verbs and how to use them, i'm trying to read and learn about it and still having trouble to grasp the idea. maybe I should leave it to a more advanced phase in my learning. :\

Pronominal verbs are a pitfall for students, so you're in good company.
There are many uses for the pronoun 'se' in Spanish, besides being a reflexive pronoun (which is what is used with the three types of pronominal verbs).

Tackle each pronominal verb (so listed in good dictionaries) as you encounter them. Notice the translation into English. That will help a lot.
Make sure you know the reflexive pronouns, and remember that they aren't always reflexive (reflecting back on the subject). That's key.

yeah, I actually made a list of all the se uses and it still confusing :thinking:

Could you maybe explain more about the pure pronominal verbs you mentioned and what's the difference between them and reflexive verbs? I mean in reflexive it means that the subject is doing the action on himself, and reciprocal means actions that people do to each other, but what's the 'SE' in pure pronominal used for? and how do decide when to put the 'se' and when not?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks for the patience I just really want to understand it :o

Pure, or purely, pronominal verbs are verbs that have a meaning that differs from the non-pronominal form.
A pronominal verb, whichever type it is, is conjugated by removing the suffix 'se', changing the ending to agree with the person AND using a reflexive pronoun that also agrees with the person. Non-pronominal verbs can be accompanied with an object pronoun, but it will generally not agree in person with the verb.

Note what aleCcowaN wrote. When a pronominal verb is conjugated, the pronoun will agree in person with the verb ending.

Me quiero golpear. (first-person ending, first-person reflexive pronoun, hit oneself - reflexive verb: golpearse)
Me quiere golpear. = He wants to hit me. (third-person ending, first-person object pronoun, hit someone - non-reflexive verb: golpear)

Pronouns used with pronominal verbs are always called reflexive pronouns, but a purely pronominal verb will have a reflexive pronoun that agrees in person with the verb even though the action is NOT reflexive or reciprocal.

Here are some purely pronominal verbs (not reflexive, not reciprocal):
acordarse (to remember)
arreglarse (to get ready)
dormirse (to fall asleep)
hacerse (to become)
irse (to leave, go away)
ponerse (to put on)

@michal: Apart from the explanations Rusty and Alec have provided, you might find this thread useful too. :)

Just to see if I understood: In pronominal verbs, I can use a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se..?) and there will a change in the meaning, but the action will not become reflexive? for example:
dormirse - to fall asleep. and dormir - sleep ?
hacerse - to become, hacer - to do ?
irse - to leave, ir - to go.
ponerse - to put on. poner - to put.
(i looked for the meanings in the spanishdict website)

So I guess the change in meaning is not random it has some kind of consistency that I didn't figure out?